//------------------------------// // Apple Family Reunion // Story: My Little Pony: Sora's Misadventures in Equestria // by Codex92 //------------------------------// Inside the barn at Sweet Apple Acres, Sora carefully lowered down a box that rested on the rafters, setting it down in front of Granny Smith. "I can't believe it's been over a year since I arrived here, and the Apple Family Reunion's come around full circle too. You sure I'm allowed to take part this year, even though I'm not really an Apple?" "Of course ya are!" Granny said, sneezing as a bit of dust from the box got in her nose. "Y'all are part of the family since ya crashed here! And after all ya done helpin' us on the farm, it's like y'all are one of my grandsons Ah never knew Ah had." "Gee, thanks." Sora scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Apple Bloom, how are them RSVPs comin' along!?" the elder Apple asked, the little filly reading through hundreds of letters. "Great news! Everypony's comin' to the reunion!" Apple Bloom announced. "Ah got RSVPs from Apples in Yonder Hill, Hollow Shades, Galloping Gorge, Foal Mountain, Fillydelphia, Tall Tale Town, Appleoosa, and Manehatten! Babs is comin' over again! This is gonna be the biggest family reunion ever!" Apple Bloom smacked the piles of letters in her excitement, sending them flying all over the barn. "Wow. You guys have a lot of family," Sora said, utterly surprised at just how much more of their relatives there were after the last reunion. "We're probably going to need a lot of refreshments...and chairs." After picking up the RSVPs Apple Bloom had slapped aside and placing them in a wheelbarrow, they headed back inside the farmhouse and had dinner. "This is gonna be a humdinger of a reunion!" Granny said. "It's been a long while since we've had all the Apples in Equestria at the reunion. Ah'm gonna be busier than a worm in a rotten tomater tryin' to get everything ready." "We can set things up, Granny Smith," Sora said. "I helped out last year, I can do it again." "Ah appreciate that, Sora. This old mare's gettin' a bit rusty in the giddy-up over the years." Granny pulled her cheeks back, somehow giving herself a temporary face lift that made her look younger, only for her wrinkles to sag back down. Despite the oddly disturbing peek at what the older mare used to look like around his age, Sora shrugged it off. "And with us and your grandchildren making sure this reunion goes along smoothly, you can just relax and enjoy yourself with the rest of your relatives. Just tell us what we need to do, and we'll get it done in no time at all." "Oh, Ah'll do more than tell ya. Ah'll show ya!" Granny Smith got out of her chair and slowly walked toward the living room. Sora, Applejack, and Apple Bloom followed her while Big Macintosh put the letters they brought in away along with the dishes. The elder Apple grabbed a photo album and sat on the couch, Applejack and Sora sitting beside her while Apple Bloom sat in Sora's lap. "We always hold the family reunion here at Sweet Apple Acres every year since our family planted roots here in Ponyville." Granny opened the photo album, showing several old pictures taken many decades ago. "Who's that?" "That's the youngins' Great-Great-Auntie Applesauce," Granny said as Sora pointed out the picture of a young mare stirring a cauldron of apple jam with a wooden spoon, though it was hard to tell what her coat and mane were by the old-fashioned pictures taken in monochrome. "That's her when she was about Sora's age, maybe a little younger." The next pages had the same mare, but as old as Granny Smith, the one after showing her losing her teeth in a cauldron of bubbling jam. "She used to go by another name, but we all called her Applesauce after losin' her teeth while makin' apple jam. Didn't find them things in a single one of those jars." "Eww. Gross." They flipped over to the next page, a young Granny Smith sitting around a quilt with some of her relatives. From the look of the picture, it looked like the same quilt that was in that box, but it looked a lot longer than the one in the picture. "What's going on in this one?" "When the first reunion started, we began workin' on that quilt for a long while. We probably won't even finish the darn thing." The next picture showed a frustrated young Granny Smith failing to sew a patch in the quilt properly. "Little did my mah tell me Ah had to knot the end of the thread the first time Ah tried it." Sora and Apple Bloom snickered at Granny's young enthusiasm in the past, though Applejack seemed to focused on taking mental notes for what they need for the reunion. The next few pictures were of some other Apple relatives making apple fritters, one of those pictures making the teen's heart explode and stop all at once. Sitting adorably underneath a picnic table with fritter crumbs on her face and a little pudge was Applejack as a baby. "Oh gods, is that Applejack!?" Sora asked. "She so cute! Oh, Kairi would have a squealing fit as soon as she sees this picture!" "Eyup, but she was a little piggie durin' that reunion," Granny said. "Found out she had the appetite of a full grown stallion bein' only a year old. Right, hon?" She nudged Applejack in the side, but she was too busy going through her mental list of things needed to even feel embarrassed of one of her baby pictures seen by someone outside her family. "Gonna need to stock up on honey and flour...oil...several buckets of apples..." Granny flipped over to the next page, showing pictures of her and another apple relative in a three-legged race, or in the case of being ponies, a seven-legged race. "Well, this sure brings back some memories. You know how Babs is your favorite cousin, Apple Bloom?" Apple Bloom nodded her head. "Mah favorite cousin is this mare, Apple Rose. We entered the seven-legged race every reunion, but we never won a single one of them races. But, we had fun in the end." "And I thought three-legged races were hard to win," Sora whispered to himself. "And, at the end of every reunion, we take a picture of the barn with the whole family, always seein' it growin' more and more every year." The next few pictures in the album were all the group photo of the Apple family in front of the barn. "Everypony's gonna be comin' this year, which is a big deal. With the others busy with their lives, it's hard for all of them to take the time to come and visit and have a hootenanny of a time!" "And we got another member of the family to join in too!" Apple Bloom said as she hugged Sora. "It's gonna be so much fun! And hopefully without somepony evil who tries to take over Equestria again after it's over." Sora chuckled and gave the filly a hard noogie. "Don't jinx it. You never know what's gonna happen when you say something like that." The next morning, the Apple family was up bright and early, getting things all set up for the reunion. Though the rest of the Apples and Sora had rested up for the day, Applejack was a little bit tired, having stayed up longer last night with planning out everything. While the earth ponies began gather the apples for the fritters and set up the picnic tables for the whole family, Sora headed into Ponyville to gather some supplies they need for all the events for the reunion: sewing supplies for the elders to work on their quilt, ingredients for the fritters, and some other scarves for the three-legged race for the foals. As he got back, he helped fill up several buckets with rain water, bouncing on a cloud that was allowed to be used around the farm, while also drenching Applejack underneath him. After Big Macintosh chopped up enough wood for the several cauldrons, Sora summoned his Keyblade and lit the fireplaces for the cauldron using his Fire spell. Everything was now set up and decorated for one of the biggest family reunions for the Apple family. "Finished." They all soon heard a commotion come from down the road, Sora's jaw dropping as the entire Apple family headed for them. "And right on time, too!" "Oh boy," Sora uttered. "There really is a lot more than last year. Hope they don't mind a pegasus involved in the fun." As soon as the rest of the relatives arrived, they all met up with their distant cousins, saying their hellos and growing excited after having been away from them for a long while. Some of the foals met up with their cousins, Babs and Apple Bloom being one pair, a few new additions to the Apple family a little nervous to be around all their relatives. "Hey, Sora!" The pegasus turned to the voice, someone familiar he had met nearly a year ago. He turned to the pony who called out to him, a yellow stallion with a dirty blonde mane, wearing a brown vest and stetson hat, his cutie mark a single red apple. "Been a while!" "Braeburn!" Sora approached the stallion and gave him a hoofbump. "Figured I'd see you here when Apple Bloom said everyone was coming. How's Appleoosa been?" "Great! We're still keepin' the peace with the buffalo with freshly baked apple pies, and AAAAPLEOOSA's only gettin' bigger by the day!" Sora had no idea if Braeburn announcing his home town's name like that was a force of habit, but it was amusing to see him rearing on his hind legs while proudly announcing the town. "Good to hear," he said. "Let's just hope we don't bring Pinkie Pie along and she sings another song about an important lesson that might get on the buffalo tribe's nerves." "Just don't tell Sheriff Silver Star Ah actually liked the song. It was kinda catchy." Their conversation was stopped as Applejack tapped on the megaphone up on a stage, getting the whole family's attention. "Howdy, y'all, and welcome to the Apple family reunion!" The whole crowd cheered, excited to be here at the reunion with all of their relatives present for the yearly get together. "My name's Applejack, and we got ourselves a big day planned! First, Ah want y'all to know that we have ourselves somepony who weren't born an Apple, but he's been with our family for over a year and helpin' us with our crops and home as if he's a second brother to me! Please welcome Sora, who y'all may know as one of Equestria's heroes who helped stop the likes of Nightmare Moon, Discord, and many more no good varmints, as an honorary member of our family!" The ponies cheered, welcoming the teen into the family. Sora grinned and blushed in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his head. "And second, what we have planned: an obstacle course for the young'uns, and fritter makin' and quiltin' for the not-so-young'uns! There's plenty more fun comin' your way, so enjoy, y'all!" The family cheered and began to start enjoying the reunion. Before Sora could go off and catch up with Braeburn on how Appleoosa has been faring since the treaty with the buffalo, he was suddenly dragged back as a pair of mouths clamped down on his tail, pulling him away from the other adults. After being dragged out of the cluster of earth ponies and landing on his rump, he turned around to see Apple Bloom and Babs Seed the culprits who dragged him by his tail. While they grinned innocently at him, he noticed that the other Apple family young ones stood behind the two fillies. "Am I being put in the kiddie corner?" Sora asked as he pouted, making the fillies and colts laugh at his childish behavior. "Apple Bloom, you know I'm more mature than you." "Are not," she said. "Are too!" Sora stuck his tongue out at her, only for Apple Bloom to mimic the action back at him. He snatched the filly up and gave her a rough noogie. "See? You're so immature you act as immature as me!" He let her go, leaving her mare a frazzled mess as Babs approached him. "Babs. Good seeing you again." "Same here," she said, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. "Not having anymore problems with those bullies back in Manehatten." "Great! You did warn them you know me personally, right?" Babs nodded her head. "Good. Don't let bullies get you down, but make sure you tell your parents or a responsible adult if you're being bothered." "I didn't forget that, or my promise to start a branch of the Cutie Mark Crusaders back home. No other ponies yet, but I'll get some new members soon!" The two cousins hoof bumped each other, unable to wait for new members of their club to join. "Always best to get new friends who are searching for their talents," Sora said. "But, in the meantime, who's ready to play some games?" All the foals began jumping around and cheering, ready to have some fun. "I thought so. All y'all kids follow me for the seven-legged race!" Sora lead the way as the excited children followed him to where Applejack has set up the race. The farm mare stood at the starting line, waiting for them with the scarves he got to tie the pairs' forelegs together. "Hey, AJ! We're ready for a good ol'fashioned Apple family race for the kids!" "Perfect! Let's get them all ready and make some memories!" Applejack and Sora helped tie the foals' hooves together as they picked their partners, Apple Bloom and Babs deciding on being teammates. "Alrighty. Everyone's partnered up and now has seven legs!" The teen looked out beyond the starting line, but didn't find the finish line down the path. "Uhh...Where's the end of the race?" "It's right up there." Applejack pointed out to a hill out in the distance with a flag as the finish line, though it was at least a mile away. "But there's a lot more after passin' the finish line." "More?" Sora questioned as the mare ran up to a large bucket of water with apples floating on the surface. "After the race, y'all are gonna be bobbin' for apples-" Applejack dunked her head in the large bucket and caught a couple apples in her mouth, then running off toward the other absurd objectives she planned for a simple, fun race. "-then you'll run around these trees fifty times until you're real good and dizzy, jump over these wooden hurdles, then the final leg of the race is balancin' spinnin' plates on your head while sayin' 'Pappy pony picked a pluck of prickly pluffnuggets' over and over again! Last ponies standin' wins!" The kids all looked at each other in confusion, along with Sora. "...Seriously, Applejack?" "Seriously!" The Keyblade wielder was about to argue with her about this, but the mare began to walk off to where the rest of the family events were going on. "Sora, start the race for me! And make some fun memories, everypony!" As she left, the kids all looked up at Sora, looking to him more for a simpler game than what Applejack had in mind. "...Yeah. I don't think this is gonna work." He stepped forward and stood before all the kids. "Don't worry, you're all not going to do all of that stuff. Just the race. But instead of all the way out there-" Sora leapt up high into the air and moved back a fair distance, summoning his Keyblade as he landed, dragging the blade across the ground to make his own finish line. "-it'll be over here!" They were impressed at the height he reached without using his wings, the teen flying back to the starting line to begin the actual race. "After the race, you kids can hang out and catch up on lost time, and maybe later, I'll give you all a little demonstration of my fighting skills. Sound cool?" They all agreed with cheers, unable to wait to see their newest non-earth pony Apple relative and hero of Equestria could do. "I sure can't wait to see what he can do up close," Babs said. "Ah've seen him plenty of times, and it's always cool no matter how many times he uses his Keyblade," Apple Bloom said. "Ok! Let's begin the race! On your marks!" The pairs got themselves ready to run, though hopefully they realized their forelegs are tied together with their buddy's. "Get set!" Sora raised his Keyblade up in the air and casted Firework as the starting signal. "Go!" The colts and fillies began to run, a few of them stumbling from the awkward connection as they had to move in synch with each other in order to win the race. With the foals having fun and not being run around ragged, Sora quickly hurried after Applejack before she decides to do the same with the adults. Back by the farmhouse, the older relatives were having a good time, chatting about their daily lives since the last reunion they went to while sipping on some apple cider. Underneath a tent to protect some ponies from the sun, Granny Smith and her cousins similar to her own elderly age reminisced on old times, though the other green earth pony wearing a sun visor hat showed off her new pair of teeth. "So, how long have ya had these chompers, Auntie Applesauce?" Granny asked. "A lady never reveals the age of her teeth," Auntie Applesauce said, to the dismay of the pale pink earth pony as she rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Oh, don't you roll your eyes at me, Miss Apple Rose! Don't think Ah haven't forgotten what you two did to my parasol six reunions ago!" "We were only usin' it to break open that pinata that wouldn't break open!" Granny and Apple Rose laughed at the memory, while Applesauce leered at her two childish cousins. Granny Smith stopped her teasing as they spotted Applejack approaching them. "Applejack! Good timin'! Ready to help us with some quiltin'?" "Sorry, Granny, Ah'm a bit too busy," Applejack said. "But you should get started on the quilt, though!" "We can't find our rockin' chairs," Apple Rose said. "Don't need 'em!" The elders stared at the younger mare in confusion. "Ah got rid of them things to make room for somethin' else, assurin' y'all finish that quilt after all these years!" "Finish it?" the elders asked as Applejack moved over to a long table that was covered with a tarp with something underneath it. Removing the sheet revealed three sewing machines that were more for industrialized purposes than their old fashioned hoof sewing. Applejack pulled the cord on one of them, starting up and making a loud noise that sounded like an engine roaring, the powerful vibrations nearly causing an earthquake along with the near deafening sounds they made, which alarmed some of the other relatives several yards away. "WON'T THAT BE EXCITIN'!?" Applejack said, trying to yell over the sewing machine. "WHAT DID SHE SAY!?" Apple Rose asked. "AH SAID-" Unable to hear herself, Applejack shut the machine off, silence thankfully blessing the elders' ears. "Ah said, won't that be excitin'?" "Ah supposed, but I have been told that too much excitement could wreak havoc on mah youthful complexion." As Auntie Applesauce thought she was still as young as she was in her youth, Apple Rose only rolled her eyes while Granny Smith laughed at her absurd fantasies claiming she was still a filly. "That's the spirit! Now, get to quiltin'!" The elders sighed and got behind their sewing machines, starting them up and bringing back the loud rattling and roaring sound. Applejack, being satisfied, wandered off to another area of the farm, leaving her grandmother and grand aunts to sew and actually finish their quilt. While they were feeling miserable and losing more of their hearing, Sora finally showed up, having to cover his ears from the engines roaring around the area. "What the heck is going on!?" He approached the tent and saw the elders working on the quilt as if they were in a sweat shop, highly confused as he swore he bought sewing supplies for them. "HEY! WHAT'S WITH THESE SEWING MACHINES!?" "WHAT DID HE SAY!?" Apple Rose asked over the loud sewing machines. "AH THINK HE SAID SOMETHIN' ABOUT BEES! AH HAVEN'T SEEN ANY!" Granny Smith said. Sora groaned, stopping the engines, to the relief of everyone present. "I asked what's with these machines? Where's all the sewing needles and thread I got for you guys?" "Applejack thought it'd be a good idea to have us finish the quilt with these doohickeys, and these things are so loud that Ah thought Ah would get more wrinkles," Auntie Applesauce said, making Granny snicker while Apple Rose face hooved. "Oh for goodness sake," Sora grumbled. "First exhausting the kids by sending them on a wild goose chase of an obstacle course, and now using these giant sewing chainsaws to finish a quilt, when that isn't the point." The elders stared at him in confusion, unsure of what he meant when he called the sewing machines "chainsaws". "I'll get this fixed up in a flash." Sora grabbed the heavy sewing machines and carried all three of them back to the barn to hopefully be sold elsewhere and never used again. With the loud devices stored away, he flew back, bringing the rocking chairs that were somehow out near the side of the road outside of the property, placing them down for the mares to sit in while they sewed. After flying back into town to buy more supplies that Applejack had either hid or thrown out, the teen thankful to have so much Munny to trade with Celestia for bits, he came back with the sewing materials they need to "finish" their quilt. "Thank ya kindly, Sora," Granny said. "He's quite the helper around here. Y'all should see him on the first day: buckin' several trees of their apples on the first go, carryin' more weight than Big Mac could for how skinny he is, and he's even saved Apple Bloom from them creepy black creatures that mysteriously appeared in Equestria." "He is quite the hunk," Auntie Applesauce complimented. "If Ah were young again, Ah would be all over him, fightin' for his attention among several other fillies." Sora cringed as she gave him a sly look, making Granny Smith guffaw uncontrollably at his reaction and Applesauce's delusions. "...Uhhh...Thank you?" The teen looked anywhere but in the old mare's direction, slowly shuffling backward. "Uhh, enjoy your time while I...do a thing...over at the place...at the thing..." Sora sped off elsewhere on the farm, both to make sure Applejack doesn't ruin the reunion's fun with work and to get away from the old mare who had a thing for him. "Strong and fast. And he's only an honorary Apple." "Applesauce, please stop before ya kill our cousin from laughin' like a hyena," Apple Rose said as Granny Smith struggled to breathe. As the children finished their race and the elders now working on their quilt while talking about the good old days, the adults started to make the fritters in the several cauldrons of boiling oil. Big Macintosh carefully lifted out some fully cooked fritters out of a cauldron and onto a plate, setting down the recently made batch on one of the tables. He licked his lips, his stomach grumbling as his nostrils were struck by the enticing aroma. Making sure none of his family was watching, he quickly gobbled up the food, though his action didn't go unnoticed by Applejack as she walked up to him. "Big Mac!" The red stallion nearly choked on his fritters, quickly swallowing the evidence. "For goodness sake. Until there's plenty of fritters for everypony, all of us can eat them. Got it?" "E-Eyup," he said as his sister moved over to a few of their cousins, busy chatting as they made the fritters for the cooking oil. "So, you have eight now, right?" one of them asked. "Sure do," the other said. "Tell you what, my Apple Tart may just be a baby, but he's quite a hoof full." "Howdy, girls," Applejack greeted. "Havin' fun?" "Sure are," the first mare said. "Great, but we gotta pick up the pace on makin' them fritters!" The two mares looked at each other, Applejack stepping forward and began instructing them on how to make the apple fritters. "Roll, fold, crimp, slide to the left. Roll, fold, crimp, slide to the left. Rollfoldcrimpslidetotheleft. Just like that!" Confused, they did what they knew how to do already, highly confused with the sudden urgency in their cousin's methods. "Perfect! Need to keep this assembly line movin' so every Apple can taste the best darn fritters in all of Equestria!" "Assembly line?" Applejack didn't hear them complain as she went off to check on everything else. Sora hovered down next to the fritter making table, seeing the utter confusion on the mares' faces. "Let me guess: Applejack's forcing you to do something that sounds more like work than having fun, isn't she?" They nodded, making the teen sigh heavily and slump his shoulders. "Ignore her. I have no idea why she's being so pushy and rushing things, taking the fun out of the reunion, but hopefully she'll stop. Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I think it's time to entertain the foals with a little demonstration of my fighting skills. Kids always look up to a hero, you know?" Sora trotted off back to where the Apple foals were out in the field to give them a little show while the mares continued chatting and made the fritters at their own pace. Applejack carried her family's camera from inside her home, ready to take some pictures of some happy memories. "Ok. Let's see what memories we can take and store in our photo album." She set it up on the stage, a perfect vantage point that overlooked all the farm. Before she could talk into the megaphone to get her relatives to cease the events she planned for them, her voice faltered when she noticed a lot of things off. The mare looked through the camera and was shocked to see what was happening: Granny Smith and her cousins were sewing the quilt normally, the sewing machines she got for them to finish it somehow disappeared as they sat in the rockers she threw out, the ponies working on making the fritters were going at a slower pace than she expected them to, most of them sampling some of the fresh batches before there was enough for everyone. "What in tarnation is goin' on? This isn't what Ah planned!" She looked over at the fields where the foals should have made it to the final part of her obstacle course, but they were nowhere to be found. A glint of light reflected off the sun brought her attention to where the starting line was, coming from Sora's Keyblade as he showed off his swordplay to the foals. She was able to put two and two together, growling angrily as all of her plans for the family reunion were torn apart, and Sora was the one who ruined her way of making the best reunion for all the Apple family. "Consarn it, Sora." Applejack ignored taking the memorable pictures she could have taken, leaping off the stage and marching off to the fields. Sora was busy enjoying himself as he sliced through the air, impressing the kids with his speed and dexterity. He ended his routine by diving to the ground, slamming his Keyblade into the ground, doing a few vaulting tricks, and ending by backflipping up and standing on the guard of the weapon, spreading out his wings as he crossed his forelegs together. The foals cheered, asking for more as the teen bowed to his audience. "Thank you, thank you! You're a wonderful little audience!" he said, flipping back and pulling his Keyblade out from the ground. "But I'm not done just yet. I have a very special little friend I want you all to meet!" He dug his hoof into his pouch and pulled out Stitch's summon pendant, Apple Bloom wincing as she recognized the ukulele on the little charm. It began glowing brightly, the other foals in awe at the magic he was casting. "Everypony, meet Stitch!" The light dimmed down, but there was no sign of the blue alien. Sora looked around in feigned confusion, scratching his head. "Uhh...Stitch? Here, boy!" Suddenly, a second pair of long, blue ears perked up over his head, along with a furry blue head peeking up from behind Sora's mane. They were surprised to see a strange looking blue dog on his head, beginning to laugh as Stitch brought a claw to his lips to tell them to keep his hiding place a secret. "Oh boy," Babs said, stifling her giggles. "This is gonna be good." "Hey, have you kids seen Stitch?" Sora asked, still oblivious to the alien sitting on his head. "He's small, blue, fluffy fur, and he can talk." "He's right there!" one of the younger foals said. "Where's there?" He look behind him, but Stitch stayed out of his line of sight. "Oh, how hard is it to find a small blue talking dog?" Stitch tapped on Sora's right shoulder, making the teen turn around to see who was trying to get his attention, only to find no one. He kept spinning around, looking above and underneath him, all while the foals got a kick out of the alien teasing him and making faces behind his back. With his back turned to the Apple youths, Stitch leapt off Sora's back and quickly ran up to the young audience, sitting randomly between them and failing to blend in with them. "That dog better not lick me again," Apple Bloom uttered, having had enough lickings from Stitch in a lifetime. "I could have sworn I called my little blue buddy to help entertain you all!" Sora said sarcastically. "He better not be among you kids, otherwise he has a sudden urge to give you all affectionate kisses, with his tongue!" As if planned, Stitch began to lick a few of the fillies he sat around, their surprised squeals and giggling alerting the teen to where his friend was "hiding". "Aha! There he is!" Ending their little game, Stitch crawled back to Sora, earning a light pat on the head. "Rascal can't resist. Stitch, say hello to the kids!" "Aloha!" he said, waving his paw at the young Apples. "Eh, close enough. So, Stitch, you like music right?" Sora asked, the alien nodding his head as he pulled out a ukulele behind him. "How about we play a little song to the kids?" "Yeah, yeah!" Stitch said, Sora twirling his Keyblade around until his held it like a guitar. The foals cheered as they were ready for more fun. "Alright, let's do this. A-one, a-two, a-one, two, three, four-" "Sora!" Hearing Applejack calling Sora caused Stitch to strum the strings of his instrument too hard, his claws cutting through them. The alien's ears drooped at the broken strings as the mare approached them. "Ya mind if Ah talk to ya in private?" "Uhh, sure. Stitch, I think we're gonna put our musical performance on hold...until we get new strings for your ukulele." He patted the alien, putting away his instrument and decided to play with the foals instead. Sora followed Applejack out into the orchard, somewhere far from the rest of the family. "What's the problem?" "Well...There's been a sudden change with how Ah wanted to plan everythin' for the reunion," Applejack said in a calm tone. "Ah spent all night makin' sure everythin's in order, but when Ah got the camera ready to take some pictures...Somepony had taken apart everythin' that was goin' to make this reunion perfect...Sora." "...So what if I did?" he asked. "Y'all undermined all Ah set up for everypony and didn't even tell me!" Applejack yelled. "How was I undermining you?" Sora asked. "Did you even realize what you were doing to your whole family after setting up a marathon that would exhaust the kids more than they'll have fun, give your own grandmother and elder relatives sewing machines for their quilt, and trying to speed up production on fritters?" "A perfect Apple family reunion Granny would be proud of me to host!" she argued. "We all agreed that the whole family would make this reunion perfect last night, Applejack!" Sora countered, starting to get annoyed with the mare's stubbornness. "I'm just trying to help fix up any mistakes you're making!" "Well, y'all can start by not helpin' anymore today! The hay ride around the orchard is up next, and Ah don't want ya to take part in it!" The pegasus scowled, unable to be trusted by the pony who had brought him in when he crashed in her orchard and he helped the Apple family with their farm without any complaints. "Ah already have some stallions pullin' the wagon, and there ain't enough room for somepony who goes behind mah back." "WHAT!?" Sora stammered, growing frustrated at Applejack's pride being more important than the fun for their whole family. He breathed out a heavy sigh, giving up. "Fine. You know what, go ahead! Do the stupid hay ride! If that's how you thank me for trying to bring some fun to your family that you neglected to put on that little plan of yours, don't come crying to me when something goes horribly wrong!" "Fine, I will!" Applejack shouted. "Good!" Sora yelled. "Good!" The bickering ponies turned away from each other and headed in opposite directions, Sora back to the party and Applejack out to where the hay ride will start. They didn't realize that the foals had heard them arguing as they were playing, all the kids and Stitch really worried that Sora and Applejack's fight was going to cause problems. "Ah have a bad feeling somethin's gonna get broken, or somepony's gonna get hurt." Sora sulked at one of the picnic tables, staring out into a random section of the orchard. Some of the Apple relatives had gone over to where the hay ride was about to start, but since the wagon wasn't big enough to fit all the Apples, it would take several rounds on the route Applejack had planned out to satisfy everyone. He snorted as he continued pouting, hoping that something will happen that will cause him to save the day and prove her wrong. As he thought of some snarky comments to make against her, Braeburn walked up to him with a plate of freshly cooked apple fritters on his back. "Howdy, Sora." The teen didn't respond, the Appeloosan stallion growing concerned on his behavior. "Y'all alright?" "...Oh sure. Just dandy," Sora said with bitter sarcasm. "I'm a part of the family right? Trying my best to make sure all the Apples have fun, just like we all wanted, but then Applejack says I'm ruining it by undermining her plans and changing things around. What SHE doesn't realize is that she's only treating everything like work, and if I didn't intervene, then everypony would have wound up exhausted and miserable! And she's too darn stubborn to even notice it, too focused on her pride of planning the perfect family reunion when it's supposed to be all of our jobs for Granny Smith, not just her!" Sora slammed his head down on the table, his grumbling frustrations muffled by the smooth wood surface. "...So, Ah'm guessin' that's a no, huh?" Braeburn sat down on the other end, placing his plate of fritters out between them. "Ah know we Apples have a reputation on bein' stubborn and not payin' attention to what we hear." "Gee. That sounded a lot like you when we tried to warn you about the buffalo stealing the apple tree we were transporting for you, and you were too busy showing us around Appleoosa to hear us until Applejack finally got through to you after enough shouting." The earth pony stallion chuckled nervously, knowing he can be quite the chatterbox from time to time. Sora lifted his head up, sighed, and grabbed a fritter. "...Is this how it feels to have a sibling? Fighting over something as small as helping them with a mistake they can't see?" "Ah wouldn't really know," Braeburn said. "Ah'm an only child." "Same here." The pegasus nibbled on the fritter, and though his taste buds enjoyed the treat, Sora wasn't really feeling the calming effects of his comfort food. "I've never really had a family reunion at all. It's just been me and my mom back home, hanging out with my close friends." "What about your pa?" Sora looked down at his hooves, ignoring the fritter between them as that specific topic was brought up. "...I'd rather not talk about it," he said. "Kind of a...personal issue. Let's just leave it at that." "Oh." The stallions sat in silence, even though the sound of the Apple family conversing and laughing was still heard. "Well, if Ah know mah cousin, Applejack will finally see she messed up accusin' ya and apologize. Ya kinda were a big help when she suggested makin' tons of fritters like we were an assembly line. It's like she thought we're havin' a last minute bake sale and expectin' the nobles from Canterlot to taste somethin' they wouldn't even dream of smellin'." "Please don't remind me of those ponies," Sora growled. "They think they're so high above the social food chain that they believe their the kings of the world. 'Oh, helloooooo! My name is Snooty McPersnikity! I'm a wealthy billionaire who got his fortune by kissing the butts of those higher than me while I also grovel at the princess's hooves to kiss her royal flank too, all to gain some form of royal title so I can show it off like the moron I am!'" He blew a raspberry, remembering a certain stallion who was adoptively related to Celestia who acting like he owned everything, even though the teen scared Blueblood stiff with his threat. "I don't mind if someone's rich AND actually cares about those underneath their social standing, but if they're ignorant to what they should be grateful for and brown-nose those richer than them just to get more money, I don't want to be anywhere near them, even with a thirty-foot pole between us." "Ah hear ya. Just leave me out in the country with a farm to work on, and Ah'm all set for life." Braeburn munched on a fritter, Sora agreeing with him on living far from the city and in a simple little town like his home on Destiny Island. "But don't ya worry about Applejack, none. We Apples are all about family, and one little fight ain't gonna get ya kicked out of this family. Y'all have helped us in Appleoosa, and much more on the farm that started our family legacy. Ah considered ya a cousin before bein' an honorary Apple." Sora stared at the Appleoosan, grinning a little at the compliment, then began to laugh. "You know, that's the first time you said 'Appleoosa' without shouting it out to the heavens." "Hey, Ah don't do that all the time," Breaburn complained. "It's a first for me, then." Sora scarfed down the rest of his fritter, looking out at the orchard. He started feeling bad blowing up on Applejack for not hearing his explanation as to why he tweaked her scheduled plans for the reunion. He thought that maybe she had calmed down too as he felt a little better, venting out his frustrations to someone else, assuring him she doesn't hate him. "Wonder where Applejack decided to bring the hay ride to." "Hey, look up there!" Braeburn averted the teen's attention up to the sky out near the west orchard. A huge flock of fruit bats, literally looking like the fruit they were colored, flew overhead as they made a rainbow. "Wow. Fruit bats. Pretty neat." "Wait...Those look like the same ones from the west orchard." Sora did recall seeing those same bats in the trees in that area a couple months ago. They did call Fluttershy to help if they were a threat to the crops, but they were relatively harmless and stay in one section where there was enough food for them all. They soon began to dive bomb down into an area through the trees, the sounds of screaming coming from the hay ride, the stallions pulling the wagon panicking as they blindly fled out of the orchard and straight for the barn. "Oh man!" Sora quickly flew toward the wagon, Apple Bloom shouting for everyone else to get out before they crashed. After everyone leapt out, even the stallions pulling unhitching themselves jumping out of the way, the hay wagon was on a direct course toward the barn, ready to crash into it. The pegasus got in front of it and held his hooves out, pushing the cart back as he was sent skidding backwards, getting closer and closer to the barn. He grunted, pouring all of his strength into stopping the heavy wagon, finally slowing to a halt as his back was mere inches from touching the wall. He sighed in relief as he wiped his forehead with his hoof, his ears perking up as he heard some of the Apple family cheering for his quick thinking and impressive strength for his frame. As he waved at the crowd, he noticed something laying inside the wagon: a sunhat with fake looking apples on the brim, almost seeming realistic and smelling like them too. Before he could question the strange apple hat, the sounds of squeaking caught his attention, the hundreds of fruit bats swooping in at breakneck speed as they aimed straight for the wagon. "Oh no," was all Sora mumbled as the bats slammed into the wagon, the teen reacting on instinct as he dodged out of the way. The force from the impact caused the wagon to resume its previous speed, slamming straight through the barn. It crashed through and struck through the main support beam on the inside, causing the building to collapse under its weight and fall into a pile of wooden debris, the fruit bats flying away in fear of the crumbling barn. Sora coughed as dust picked up from the collapse, the Apples all staring in horror as the barn was destroyed and thankful Sora was unharmed. Applejack slowly stepped toward the mass of debris after watching her family's barn fall. She thought it was a good idea to route the hay ride to the west orchard and scare the fruit bats out of the trees to impress them with their colors as they flew off in the shape of a rainbow. Unfortunately, she was too focused on making it perfect that she never realized one of her grand aunts wore her apple sunhat, the bats' diving toward them to try to get at the fake fruit and scaring everyone. She sat before the scene, staring at the disaster that she ended up causing, lowering her hat over her face in shame and despair. Sora knew it would have gone horribly, even though he tried to stop it, tears welling up in her eyes as she ended up ruining her family's reunion. "It's ruined," Applejack uttered. "Ah ruined everythin'..." Sora stood back up, looking over the damage done to the barn as the rest of the family approached. "Wow. This barn always needs a new makeover every few months." He looked over at Applejack, hearing her sniffling as she tried to hide her tears underneath the brim of her stetson. "Applejack? You alright?" "Of course not!" she said. "Just look at what happened! You were right! All Ah wanted to do was make the perfect family reunion, and mah stupid plan with the fruit bats ended with the barn bein' destroyed...Y'all are better at bein' in charge of fun stuff more than me, and Ah ended up blamin' ya because of mah stubbornness..." "...Well, no one got hurt, so no harm done." Sora patted the upset farm mare on the shoulder. "Can't blame you for trying to make everything perfect, but you completely forgot that this was on OUR shoulders: Apple Bloom's, Big Mac's, and mine. You don't have to take charge over everything, otherwise you'll just stay focused on that stressful schedule and stress everyone else. I may not know much about being a part of a family reunion, since this was the first ever one I've been a part of while I'm not exactly an Apple, but I think the whole point of one is to have fun and catch up with long-lost relatives across the world and back." She looked up at him, wiping her tears away with a hoof. "Might as well just say 'Ah told ya so.'" "I could...but I'm not. Plus, everyone's still here, and we got plenty of time to snap some good memories." Sora grinned, patting Applejack on the back. "We still need to take that group photo of the whole family." "Sora, the barn's destroyed," Applejack reminded the pegasus. "How are we supposed to have fond memories with the whole family if there's no barn?" "Well...I think there's an activity all of us can do. And we can have fun doing it, and NOT make it feel like a chore." He held his hoof out to her, Applejack trusting him with whatever he had in mind and bumped her hoof with his. "What exactly do y'all have planned?" she asked. "You'll see. Just give me a few minutes." Sora quickly flew off and headed into town, leaving the family confused as to where he was headed. A while later, he came back with several carts filled with building materials to rebuild the barn from the ground up: wooden beams, several logs, hammers, nails, hardhats, paint and paintbrushes, everything they needed for a perfect barn raising. He was also wearing a black stetson on his head, matching his clothing. "And now, some music to get us all into the spirit of things!" The teen stomped his hoof down four times with perfect rhythm, an upbeat fiddle playing as a tune played all around them. [Sora] Raise this barn, raise this barn One, two, three, four Together, we can raise this barn One, two, three, four The Apple family soon got into the music, all of them excited as they though a barn raising was a good idea to kick things back up after it fell from the accident. Soon, everyone began moving supplies while the strongest of the family moved the beams and began setting up the frame of the barn. Up, up, up, go the beams Hammer those joints, work in teams Turn 'em round quick by the right elbow Grab a new partner, here we go! [Apple Family] Yeah! Though most of the Apples worked, including Sora, Applejack was speechless as she watched her family being motivated by Sora to raise a new barn. Even if it was hard work, the song playing in the background made it seem more like a fun routine than back breaking labor, and everyone was enjoying themselves unlike what she tried to do with the race, her Granny's quilting, and the fritters. "Come on, Applejack! I can't do this on my own!" Sora said, locking his right foreleg around hers and making them twist around as if tagging out. "Let's do it, ponies! Yee-haw!" Finally snapping out of her funk, Applejack got into the song and began to help out too, joining him and showing him how a barn raising song should be sung. [Applejack] Raise this barn, raise this barn One, two, three, four Together, we can raise this barn One, two, three, four Finish the frame, recycling wood Workin' hard, you're doin' good Turn 'em round quick by the right elbow Grab a new partner, here we go! [Apple Family] Yeah! The frame was fully built in no time at all. With nearly a hundred ponies working together on building the barn, they would be done within an hour or two, and that included setting up the walls, roof, and painting it. Sora and Applejack had food and beverages ready for the hardworking family, the former flying around and handing out ice cold apple juice while the latter served fresh apple fritters. [Sora] Raise this barn, raise this barn One, two, three, four [Applejack] Together, we can raise this barn One, two, three, four [Sora] Slats of wood come off the ground [Applejack] Hold 'em up and nail 'em down [Sora and Applejack] Turn 'em round quick by the left elbow Grab a new partner, here we go! [Apple Family] Yeah! The roof and flooring for the barn were already down, and all that was left was the walls, doors, windows, and painting it bright red and white. Even with the small break, the building never slowed down, and everypony was still having fun as the music livened their work. [Apple Bloom] Look at us, we're family [Applejack] Workin' together thankfully [Sora] We Apples, we are proud to say [Apple Bloom, Applejack, and Sora] Stick together the pony way [Applejack] Bow to your partner, circle right [Sora] Get down if you're scared of heights {Applejack and Sora] Forward, back, and twirl around That barn's gonna be the best in town! [Apple Family] Yeah! "Alright! Nearly done!" Sora flew over to the carts and pulled out the paintbrushes and paint, Applejack and Apple Bloom helping carry the cans and brushes back to the newly built, unpainted barn. "Just one last thing to do, Apples!" [All] Raise this barn, raise this barn One, two, three, four Together, we can raise this barn One, two, three, four [Sora] Take your brushes, young and old [Applejack] Together, paint it, bright and bold [Sora and Applejack] Turn 'em round quick by the left elbow Grab a new partner, here we go The music began to wind down after the painting had been finished, the barn now fully restored and better than ever. The family all stood back and marveled at the new barn, proud of their job well done and happy to restore one of the few buildings that started their family legacy throughout all of Equestria. [All] We raised this barn, we raised this barn Yes, we did Together, we sure raised this barn Yes, we did Being together counts the most We all came here from coast to coast All we need to strive to be As everyone gathered around in front of the barn, Sora set up the camera for the family group picture. He set the timer and quickly flew up to them, being a part of the Apple family. Is part of the Apple family The camera flashed as Sora got into position, the other Apples stood on the sides, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith in the middle, and Sora hovering above them. Later in the evening, the reunion had long since ended, and even after the small mishap with the barn's destruction, it was fully rebuilt once again, hopefully this time for a long while. Applejack placed all the memorable pictures she had taken after the barn raising, starting with the picture of this year's group photo. She didn't have to worry about trying to make things perfect anymore, just letting the excitement of talking with relatives and enjoying each other's company more than forcing to make those memories, and there were plenty to go around. There were pictures of Granny Smith, her cousins, and even a few other mares, including Applejack, sewing the quilt by hoof while having a good time. Some had the foals laughing and having fun playing with each other, a few of them with Stitch around and licking some of them, including Apple Bloom and Babs Seed. Even Sora was in a few of them, either playing with the kids or entertaining them with his magic and fighting skills, or hanging out with the rest of the Apples, with one competitive photo of him and Big Macintosh having an apple fritter eating contest. Sora won that little competition by a landslide. The family left as soon as the sun had set, heading back to their homes across Equestria. Though the rest of the Sweet Apple Acres family was asleep, Sora was still awake, walking into the kitchen where Applejack was busy picking the best pictures for the album. "Pretty fun reunion, even after the worst of moments happened," he said, feeling Winona nudging one of his legs with her nose under the table. He pet the collie, giving her the attention she craved. "Thanks for having me be part of the family, 'sis'." "It actually was a lot more fun with ya here, sugarcube," Applejack said. "Ah'm really sorry about earlier, though. Now that Ah think about it, it was a bad idea makin' everypony run around ragged: makin' the foals run that long race, havin' Granny and her cousins try and finish the quilt, and make everypony else make fritters like an assembly line...Ah don't know what Ah was thinkin'." "Eh. Water under the bridge. At least I did you a favor for fixing those mistakes you made. Though, next time you want to do something that's important, please remember that you've got me and everyone else to back you up and carry some of that weight, too. We do not want to have another Applebuck Season like last year, right?" Winona yipped in agreement, earning a scratch behind the ear. "Thanks for bringin' that up." Applejack scowled, putting in the last picture on the pages for this year's reunion. She closed the photo album and pushed it over to Sora. "Hopefully the best ones Ah picked out are good enough. And there's plenty with you in there." "Yes! MVP of the reunion!" Sora joked, both ponies giggling as he opened up the photo album to see the pictures. He started at the beginning of the nearly century old album, flipping through the pages as he saw the many changes in the size of the family, the barn and the orchard in the background, even the quality of the picture as technology advanced as the years progressed. There was something that began to bug Sora when he looked through the pictures, specifically with the ones as Big Macintosh as a baby, up until baby Apple Bloom. "...Huh...Weird." "What?" Applejack asked. "...You know, I've met all of your relatives today, but...I don't think I've met ALL of them." Sora flipped over to a page with one of the many group family photos, one with Big Mac and Applejack as a young teenage colt and filly, both of them sitting in front of what seemed to be their parents: a pale yellow stallion with a red mane and tail, his cutie mark a green apple sliced open with a star in the middle, wearing a familiar looking stetson hat on his head, and a light peach mare with curly brown-orange hair, her mane and tail tied at the end like how Applejack wears hers while bearing a jar of something inside, the mare looking like she was a few months pregnant. "Are these two your parents?" "...Y-Yes," she said, her face turning pale as her eyes were glued to the two ponies. "I thought so. After seeing your dad's picture, I thought it was strange how similar yours was to his." As he flipped over to the next year's reunion photos, Sora didn't notice Applejack had lowered her head, her face hidden under the brim of her hat. He pointed out that year's family photo in front of the barn, where Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, Applejack, and an infant Apple Bloom stood, but the Apple siblings' parents weren't there with them along with their relatives. "But, the next year, they aren't there. Or any other years prior, including today." He turned over the pages, each year Applejack and her older and younger siblings growing older, no sign of their parents anywhere. "They weren't here last year, anytime I was here on the farm when I crash landed, or even seen any letters from them. "I was hoping maybe getting to meet them at least once. Plus, with all the trouble Apple Bloom gets into, they should really be the ones to try and keep some control over that filly." Applejack's forelegs trembled, Winona approached her master and nuzzled her side with her head, sensing her sadness. Sora was oblivious as he looked back at the pictures. "Your mom must have been pregnant with Apple Bloom on the year before they stopped appearing. Do they go out all over Equestria to help other farms or other relatives' orchards? On a honeymoon of sorts? I'd be surprised if they came back with another foal on the way, another sibling to have to-" Applejack suddenly slammed her hooves down on the table hard, silencing Sora's wondering, startling him and Winona. Just the amount of force she put into the table sounded like it almost broke in half. Sora began to worry, now finally noticing the mare was about to explode and lash out at something with the way her hooves shook. "...Sora...Just...Just stop talkin'," Applejack said, her voice shaky and sounding almost aggressive. "...AJ? You ok?" he asked with concern. She didn't answer, instead getting up from the table and left the dining room, heading upstairs with her head low and veiled by her hat. Winona followed after her to comfort her owner, leaving Sora alone with the family photo album. He looked at the pictures, confused by Applejack's reaction as he stared at the pictures of her parents in their last reunion they took part in with their family and children. While lost in viewing the memories of the past the Apples had, Granny Smith slowly walked in, woken up after hearing her grandfilly slam her hooves on the table downstairs. "Applejack's upset, ain't she?" the elder mare asked, startling Sora as he lost track of time. "...Did I say anything wrong?" Granny Smith looked down at the pictures, getting an understanding to the situation that had upset Applejack. "Were ya askin' her about where their ma and pa were?" The teen nodded his head, the old mare sighing sadly. "Ah thought so..." "...Granny Smith...Did something happen to them?" Granny placed a hoof over one of the pictures, one with Applejack's parents together during the reunion, looking like the perfectly happy and loving couple anyone would ever see. "...Yes...They aren't with us anymore." Sora gasped as his jaw dropped in shock. It was a surprise to hear that Applejack's parents were gone, something he didn't suspect or even wish to hear. "It was an accident...one of the worst moments in our lives that year...Apple Bloom was only a few months old when it happened." "...Oh god," Sora uttered, looking back down at the photo album. Granny Smith flipped over to the year when the couple first "disappeared", little Apple Bloom held in filly Applejack's hooves. He got a better look at the orange filly in the picture, her smile looking forced as tears welled in her eyes. Whatever had happened to them must have happened not too long before the reunion, becoming a huge tear in the entire family's hearts when the other relatives knew of their fate. "...Does Apple Bloom know?" "About a year before ya arrived," Granny said. "It took a while, but she understood after a few weeks...Though, the one who took it the hardest was Applejack...She witnessed everythin'." The teen brought a hoof to his mouth, eyes welling up with tears. "Even to this day, she still blames herself for what happened...Applejack was so upset. She yelled at Apple Bloom whenever she cried for attention, hit the walls, furniture, or Big Mac...Ah understood just how upset she was, but Ah had a good talk with her before she had completely shut her emotions away and made things worse on us, and herself. "Ah had lost mah son and daughter-in-law before Ah meet mah end, somethin' no mother should ever have to experience...It was hard for all of us, but the best we can do is try to move on, keepin' their lives in our memories, and our hearts." Granny Smith closed the photo album, lifting it onto her back to store away until the next year the reunion comes around. She looked at Sora, his tears streaming down his face as he imagined the tragic roller coaster of emotions Applejack had gone through from losing her parents AND watching them die right before her eyes. He felt guilty for bringing them up and terrible memories for her she didn't want to remember. "Now, don't go blamin' yourself for bein' curious, Sora. Anypony would wonder what happened when they didn't show up in the previous pictures. Applejack will feel better in the mornin'. Go on upstairs and get some sleep before ya go and feel restless like ya did for a whole week a while back." The elder Apple left the room to put the album away and head back upstairs to her room to sleep. Sora wiped away his tears, though he still felt awful for bringing up something so depressing. Unable to do much for Applejack at the moment, he headed upstairs to his room to try and get some sleep. He took off his clothing and folded them up on the dresser and climbed into bed. He looked out the window toward the night sky, watching two shooting stars fly over together, a very rare phenomenon, or possibly representing the Apple siblings' parents. "...This world seems so peaceful," Sora said as he continued staring at the night sky. "But, that doesn't mean tragedy doesn't exist as well." He rolled over, finding it hard to sleep now as he began to think about his mom back home, wondering if she even noticed he'd been gone for so long without even telling her where he's been. "...I feel a little homesick..."